Hollow mortise chisel's

[MikeJhn]

Is it really necessary to pay nearly £80.00 for a decent hollow mortise chisel, or can someone point me in the right direction to something of excellent quality that does not cost an arm and leg, I do know in most things you get what you pay for, but I am hoping that someone has found utopia without having to trade in a limb.

Mike

 

[Beau]

Just had a look and see what you mean! Don't remember them costing any more than £30 last time I bought one. Always went for the Japanese patten but even most of them are now £80. Did come across these but no idea of quality. http://www.screwfix.com/p/mortice-chise ... oCP8Hw_wcB

 

[deema]

Hi Mike,

Look out for Clico, Robinson, Wadkin and Ridgeway, preferably with a double fluted bit. They regularly come up on auction sites. You will also need a Clico No2 sharpening set (again, auction sites) and a bit file.

 

[Mike Jordan]

Most of mine are the Japanese single flute type and are not quite so expensive as the cabinet maker twin flute ones. Whichever type you chose it pays to ensure that augers are available as replacement items. Augers tend to fail in the smaller size chisels while there is still plenty of life left in the chisel part. Some suppliers have tried to impose the idea that a complete set needs to be purchased when the auger breaks. Regular use of the sharpening tools will extend the life of your chisels and augers. A hobby woodworker friend recently asked me to sharpen a half inch chisel set which had been in use for more than twenty years without being touched. It took only a few minutes and he was amazed by the improved performance.

 

[custard]

I always used to use Clico tooling, but when they shut up shop I asked around to find out what other makers recommended. These S&S Japanese chisels seemed to get the vote so I tried a couple,

http://scosarg.com/tooling/mortiser-tools/chisels-bits

They're not cheap but they are superb quality, especially for temperate zone hardwoods, although for really hard tropical timbers I still prefer Clico. I wonder if the Axi tooling is actually the same product? The spec seems similar but from memory Axi are a couple of quid cheaper.

Maybe the best plan is to get something like these in your most popular one or two sizes then economise with other sizes?

Good luck!

 

[mikefab]

I think they are the same thing Custard. As far as I can make out from the ScoSarg website they are NH brand which is the same as the Axminster ones, the same as sold here and the same as Veritas sell in N America as their "premium mortice chisels". I've had a look at the ones on the shelf in axminster and they are def branded NH.

To the OP. They occasionally come up on eBay if you are patient. I put together a set of all the ones I would need within a few weeks.

Sent from my SM-G920F using Tapatalk

 

[custard]

I think they are the same thing

That's good to know, thanks!

 

[RobinBHM]

I use the ones from Wealdon.

I use the half inch ones in a joinery shop and find them pretty good in accoya, iroko, oak.

keep em sharp

 

[MikeJhn]

It would seem the short answer is yes, you do need to pay £80 ++ for decent chisel's, must admit I have been more than happy with most Wealdon router bits, but unfortunately the 13/16" shank is not compatible with my Mortiser unless someone can tell me if the Axminster AW16BMST2 is able to take a 13/16" bush and where I can get one, or is the bush already in the head unit? Will have to look tomorrow morning.

Mike

 

[MikeJhn]

Sorry for the delay in up date, but I did check and it did not have a bush in the head unit, so I bought one of these: http://www.axminster.co.uk/axminster-mo ... tor-400043 so I can now use any 13/16 chisels including Wealdon's.

I think as standard the Axminster AW16BMST2 comes with the bush, mine as it was second hand did not.

Mike

 

[ScottandSargeant]

There are lots of cheaper Chinese and Taiwanese chisels around. The quality of steel in the Japanese NH ones is a lot better... and surprisingly, when I went around the factory, they are all still finished by Japanese craftsmen, by hand fr the optimum finish and QC.

TIN Coating helps the cheap ones a little but In terms of performance, we did do some repetitive tests NH vs Clico before clico went bust. NH out performed the Clico in our simple test rig. The small size augers in the Clico were slightly more robust, but sadly they are no longer so it's not a real choice any more. The larger sized Clico are MUCH harder to pull through the wood due to more obtuse cutting angle. NH also make a bigger range of sizes than the standard ... from 3mm up to 30mm in both imperial and metric...now the 3mm ones are fragile and available only in limited quantities, but no other manufacture or supplier is brave enough to attempt them. Great for that special micro cabinetry!

 

[MikeJhn]

Any one have or know anything about the Multico White Box chisels?

Mike

 

[MikeJhn]

Hi Mike,

Look out for Clico, Robinson, Wadkin and Ridgeway, preferably with a double fluted bit. They regularly come up on auction sites. You will also need a Clico No2 sharpening set (again, auction sites) and a bit file.

Thanks deema, on your and everyone else's recommendation I managed to win a new 1/4" Clico on e-bay, just hope it lives up to expectations, meanwhile does anyone know anything about the Multico White Box versions, they seem very reasonable on e-by at £75 for three different chisels although on the smaller end of the scale, at the larger end they are offering two also at £75 would like to know if they are any good. Seems they should be as Multico invented the square mortice bit according to the blurb on e-bay.

M

 

[RobinBHM]

As far as I know Multico ceased trading in the 1980's

It seems as through the name Multico exists still in connection with Inca and are a French company. I dont know if they make good morticer bit sets or not. Most European branded gear these days is Chibese sourced, so whether thats the case for these or not Ivr no idea.

 

[MikeJhn]

Well according to this e-bay listing they are referring to themselves in the first instance, which would tend to indicate they are Multico, that does not necessarily mean they are just that they may want us to think they are: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/MULTICO-WHITE ... SwIwhWTI0e

Mike

 

[ScottandSargeant]

Multico made the first bench top Mortisers at their factory in Redhill which was owned by Laurence Meldrum. They used to import their chisels from NH in Japan. Multico closed down and sold the rights to the name to Madhu Damani who owed a mail order company and tool shop in Watford... they also bought the rights to the Avon wood lathes.... eventually they folded and disappeared from the scene. I think it was at this point Madhu moved to France and reinvented his business as a small mail order company.
I think you will find the chisels they are now selling are either Taiwanese or Chinese manufactured chisels
Hope this helps!

 

[MikeJhn]

Thanks for that, it does help to know the history of what we use.

Miek